Download Greenhouse effect - Appoquinimink High School

Warm-up
• In Your Journal- What is the purpose of the
atmosphere?
• Essential Question- Why does the Earth need
an atmosphere? Does it cause any problems?
Why do we need an
atmosphere?
The atmosphere is defined as:
• a thin layer of gases that
surrounds our Earth.
• Without the atmosphere,
organisms that survive on
Oxygen would not be able to
survive.
• This atmosphere also helps to
distribute the heat gained from
the sun’s rays.
Composition of Air
• There are many
different types of gasses
in the atmosphere
• They include nitrogen,
oxygen, argon, carbon
dioxide and other noble
gasses
• The gas that is most
abundant is nitrogen
The Troposphere
Lowest (inner) layer
weather occurs here
we live in it.
“tropo” means turning or
changing conditions
• depth varies from 9km
above the poles to 16km
at the equator
• shallowest (least thick)
layer, but contains most
of the mass (90%).
•
•
•
•
The Stratosphere
• “strato” means layer or
spreading out
• Contains the ozone layer
which absorbs energy
and causes the
temperature to rise
• The ozone layer protects
the surface from
dangerous UV rays
The Mesosphere
• Drop in
temperature
marks beginning of
mesosphere
• “Meso” means
middle
• Most meteors burn
up here
The Thermosphere
• Very top layer
• Air is very, very thin, about
1/1000th as dense as the air at
sea level
• “Thermo” means heat
• Extends from 80km to space
• No definite outer edge
• Very hot (over 1000°C), but
since air is so thin it would not
feel warm at all.
• Divided into two parts, the
ionosphere and the exosphere
The Ionosphere
• Energy from sun strips the
electrons from the gas
molecules creating charged
particles called ions.
• Radio waves can bounce off of
ions, allowing radio waves to
travel great distances.
• The aurora borealis (Northern
Lights) occur here
The Exosphere
• “Exo” means outer
• Extends for 1000’s
of miles
• Satellites orbit
here
• No definite edge
• Molecules
gradually escape
out into space
Fill in the correct layer of the atmosphere
Life forms
Weather
75% of atmosphere
Ozone Layer
24% of atmosphere
Cold
A few molecules
Shooting stars burn
up here
Fewer molecules
Large temperature
fluctuations
Occasional molecules
Gradually escaping into
space
Earth’s Natural Greenhouse Effect
• Greenhouse gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane
and nitrous oxide trap the infrared radiation released by the
Earth's surface.
– The atmosphere acts like the glass in a greenhouse, and
keeps the Earth 33°C warmer than it would be without an
atmosphere, at an average 15°C.
Warming the Earth Naturally…
• The Sun
– 25% of it’s heat is absorbed by the atmosphere
– 25% is reflected by the clouds back into space.
– The remaining radiation travels unimpeded to the Earth
and heats its surface.
– Due to the Greenhouse effect some of this gets trapped
and can escape, thus warming the Earth Naturally
Greenhouse Effect Lab
• We will work in pairs
• You need One Beaker, One thermometer, parafilm to
secure the top of your beaker, and a piece of black
paper
• Take your beaker outside- first record the outside air
temp, place thermometer in beaker, Seal Well!!
Begin observations
• We are going to gauge the temperature in each for 5
minutes, recording your observations ever 15
seconds.
• Repeat with Black paper over top of beaker
Create a hypothesis- In your
Journal
• While coming up with your hypothesis,
consider the following:
• Assuming you create a good seal so that little or no air flows into the jar
once it is over the thermometer, how will the temperature change in the
jar?
• ⇒ Will the temperature change slowly at first, then quickly? Or do you
expect it to change quickly at first, then slowly?
• ⇒ What changes about the environment of the jar with the black insert
placed on? How will this change the jar's rate of temperature change and
its final temperature (once it stabilizes)?
• ⇒ What effect does the shade cloth have? How will it change the rate of
change and final temperature in the jar?
Lab write-up
• Introduction- Using your notes write a 3
sentence introduction to the Greenhouse
Effect
• Procedure- explain what you used and what
you did
• Data- Include all data from both trials
• Conclusion= Lab Questions
Lab Questions
• Did you prove or disprove your hypothesis?
• Which experiment resulted in the highest temperature
change?
• Describe the general trend your temperatures took over
time (did they continuously warm up, did they have a peak
and then stop warming).
• What was happening inside the bottle (describe with words
AND a diagram), and how did this affect the temperature?
• What is the effect did the black paper on the top of the
beaker have on temperature?
• The phenomenon you just experimented on is called The
Greenhouse Effect. Explain why this term is so appropriate
for this phenomenon.